


1935: "Hard Knocks"

by robokittens



Series: Two Boys At Play [5]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Feelings, M/M, Non-Graphic Violence, Possessive Behavior, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers, Sometimes I Think You Like Getting Punched, Teen Sadist Bucky, i've let you all down, like entirely too many feelings, this is not at all smut i'm so sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-21
Updated: 2015-01-21
Packaged: 2018-03-08 13:46:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3211379
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/robokittens/pseuds/robokittens
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"That'll show 'im," Steve says, and he feels the skin on his lip pull taut when the grin breaks across his face. Not busted, just a little raw. Might be a little blood on his teeth from where he bit the inside of his cheek, but probably not; he can't taste it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1935: "Hard Knocks"

The crack of his fist against Bobby Ramirez's jaw is so satisfying that for a moment Steve doesn't even notice the resulting pain in his knuckles, or the twinge of his ankle and the hitch in his breath that never means anything good. There's a scrape on the heel of his drawing hand that's starting to sting where he'd caught himself against the brick, but it's not so bad. Feels good right now.

About as good as the look on Bobby's face — like he can't believe Steve was able to land a punch at all. He doesn't even resist when Steve shoves at his shoulders, and he stumbles back like he's about to go down. He doesn't, not quite, but that doesn't keep a feral grin from hitching up on Steve's face. He drops back into a fighting stance; his ankle registers distant protest, but he pays it no mind.

"You wanna talk about Dottie again?" he says, grin widening. Bobby had had some choice words to say about Mr Carlyle's daughter — and worst of all, he'd had the misfortune to say them just as Steve was getting off his shift at her father's store.

He'd ruffled her hair on his way out the door (Thirteen! Far too young for anyone to be saying things like _that_ about her!) and said "Don't you worry about him" and followed him right out the door and around the corner.

"You don't know when to give up, do you?" Bobby spits. His fist gets close enough to Steve's cheek that he can feel the rush of air as it goes past, but it doesn't connect.

Steve blinks, and Bobby's on the ground in front of him.

"He sure don't," Bucky says, and grins at Steve over the figure kneeling between them. "C'mon, Rogers. Let's go, now that this fella's learned his lesson and all." He jerks his head back, gesturing over his shoulder. From this angle he's all jaw, topped off with a smug expression; Steve can't decide if he wants to smack it off him or if — 

It's half tempting to kick Bobby in the shin as he walks past, but Steve can't bring himself to kick a man while he's down. Not even if he deserves it.

Bucky slings a companionable arm around Steve's shoulder, tugs him in just a bit. They make it a couple blocks that way, heading toward the Rogers', before Steve pulls away, out of Bucky's grasp. It's putting pressure on his bad ankle, walking like that, and kind of makes him feel like he's using Bucky as a crutch besides. 

The walk is faster when they're not doing it three-legged, and Steve steps up the pace without meaning to. He's still riding high, even if Bucky _was_ the one to land the final blow.

"That'll show 'im," Steve says, and he feels the skin on his lip pull taut when the grin breaks across his face. Not busted, just a little raw. Might be a little blood on his teeth from where he bit the inside of his cheek, but probably not; he can't taste it.

Bucky grabs his arm, forceful enough to stop Steve dead in his tracks and nearly spin him around, crowds him into the soaped-up doorway of a store that's shut for business. Steve plants his feet, steels himself for the anger he's sure to be on the receiving end of, but when he raises his eyes to meet Bucky's, defiant — 

Bucky looks broken, _sounds_ broken when he says Steve's name. 

Steve hadn't realized his hands were still balled into fists, and he uncurls them slowly. "Hey," he says, "I'm okay." He reaches out and puts a bloodied palm on Bucky's arm.

"What," Bucky says, and takes a deep breath. Steve can feel the steady rise and fall of Bucky's breathing through his shirt, shifting his hand where it rests on Bucky's shoulder; it's a sharp contrast to the staccato beat of his own heart. 

Another deep breath, and Bucky starts again, "What do you want from them? What are you _looking_ for? What do you want that — that —"

_That I can't give you_ , Steve finishes. He doesn't realize he's said it aloud until he feels the warm sting on his face, doesn't realize what caused it until the hand Bucky had slapped him with comes to his cheek again, gentle this time, fingers lining up perfectly with their prints as though to soothe the hurt they'd caused. Only Bucky's thumb moves, tracing across Steve's cheekbone.

"I'd do anything for you, Stevie," he whispers. "You know that, right? Don'tcha know that?"

"I know," Steve says, and his eyes slip shut as he leans into Bucky's palm. "Don't need you to fight for me, though." Bucky's thumb drags lightly across Steve's lip as he pulls his hand away, but it might just be an effect of the scowl Steve's mouth twists into. 

He opens his eyes in time to see Bucky blink once, twice; that's all but it's enough for Steve to read the flicker of emotion across his face before it settles back into its familiar smile, its cocky poise. He can read Bucky like a book; they both know each other's tells — but _why_ that moment of sadness, that undercurrent of jealousy, he's not sure. Probably shouldn't ask, but he doesn't get a chance to anyway.

"I know _that_ ," Bucky scoffs. "You won't listen to me when I tell you to not go get your head smashed in; you sure won't let me do it for you."

"Won't let you do what? Smash my head in?" Steve smirks.

"You need _anything_ , Steve, you —" Bucky rolls his eyes. "Am I gonna have to beat it into you after all?"

"Could be it's the only way to learn me." Steve grins cheekily, and the light smack of Bucky's hand against his cheek does nothing to wipe it off. Wouldn't hurt at all, probably, except that it's the same cheek as before. It's gotta be red now. Might stay that way for a bit, knowing his luck.

"You learned yet?"

"Yeah, I learned you like hitting me!" Steve laughs. He swipes the pad of his thumb down his own cheek to feel the heat of it, and over his bottom lip to feel if it's bleeding. Doesn't seem to be. "Do it again and I'll start thinking you've got a taste for it."

"I know _you_ 've got a taste for it," Bucky grumbles, sounding more fond than irritated.

Steve rolls his eyes, and ducks out from under Bucky's arm and onto the sidewalk proper. "Let's get out of here before someone thinks it's a lover's spat. Standing on a street corner shouting at each other, your mother would be ashamed."

Bucky laughs. "Yeah, only 'cause my mother's still got hopes for me. Yours knows you're a savage. C'mon," he says, and wraps an arm around Steve's shoulders again. It's tempting to shrug him off, but Steve knows by now that's just how Bucky gets when he sees Steve in any kind of state, and there's no use arguing. "Speaking of Ma, let's go by mine. She's making casserole for dinner; I'm sure there's plenty for you."

"You just want to pass it off on me! I don't see what you've got against your ma's cooking, Buck; I think it's pretty good."

"Yeah, 'cause you don't have to eat it every night," Bucky says, mournful and dramatic, which makes Steve laugh. He pulls Steve in a little tighter, his hand tightening its grasp on Steve's upper arm. 

"Let's go," he says, and they do. Bucky keeps him plastered tightly against his side the whole damn way.

**Author's Note:**

> just because there's an overabundance of feelings doesn't mean they're actually _talking_ about them. you wanna? hit me up on [tumblr](http://robokittens.tumblr.com)!


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